Getting Warmer
by AnHeiressofaSOLDIER
Summary: Things weren't always easy for Luna, in being under Niflheim's control after the fall of Tenebrae. And even some of the letters from Noctis didn't leave her feeling the best about the situation. But even so... whenever Luna read one of Noct's responses, she felt her heart glowing with warmth- and hope and joy returning to her once more.


**Author's Note: My own take on what I think Noctis and Luna could have written to each other over the twelve years.**

 **Though this isn't all the stuff they wrote to each other, just snippets of it that tie together to make this story.**

 **Maybe I'll even write more of the letters in the future. Who knows?**

 **At first I was actually really reluctant to do this, because I already know of three amazing attempts at it—and I bow to each of them and their quality—but in the end, I'm glad I did:**

 **I think it's made me understand my version of Noctis and Luna better. And it's also made me completely buy that they could have a deep understanding of each other and intimate relationship through something like this (that canon was saying was true, but that I wasn't sure I believed until now).**

 **Anyway, this is all Luna's PoV, until the last section that is from the narrator's.**

 **Enjoy!:D**

 **Oh, and if I got stuff wrong in the timeline, I deeply apologize. I wrote all of this on my phone, at a time where I couldn't go online to check it out.**

 **Getting Warmer**

 **Luna's PoV**

The first message Luna got from Noctis, was him telling her that at first he'd been unsure about writing to her in her notebook—because what if she eventually ended up deciding that it was too hard a way to talk?—but the moment she had been taken hostage by the Nifs, he'd had to make sure she was okay.

And so he'd scribbled to her in the notebook until Umbra had magically appeared by his side, and then he'd known what to do.

Or, so Noctis wrote in the notebook.

And the truth was Lunafreya was _not_ okay.

Earlier in the day, she'd been assaulted by one of the guards and knocked to the floor.

The next thing she had known, blood had been dripping from her thigh.

And Luna would've thought she'd started her period again (that she'd only just recently begun), if she hadn't noticed the knife in her leg.

Thankfully, Ravus had been nearby and scared the man away with his rapier—though it had lead to him getting smacked for it later—and had tended to her as best he could.

But honestly... Luna didn't know if she should be telling Noctis this stuff or not.

Even if he was the chosen King of Light, destined to have a hard life like she was, Noctis was very much still a child. And Luna wanted to protect him, and do so in a way that she couldn't shield him from his actual fate.

But at the same time... Lunafreya found that she wanted to be truthful with her friend, for whatever reason—and even more forthcoming than she'd been to even herself, since learning of her duty.

And so Luna decided then and there that she'd be straight with her dear companion, but also sugarcoat it some, too.

"I could be better, Noctis. My leg was marred by the blunt edge of a soldier's blade today, though I don't know if he did that on purpose... But I don't want you to worry about me. I could be worse. Anyway, I sincerely hope that you are well!"

And before Luna could attempt to lie and soften the journal's blow, by saying that she'd come to love some rose designs she'd seen engraved on Niflheim's concrete the few times she'd been forced to go there lately... she put the book in her dear Pryna's mouth and waited.

What she had been waiting for, she really didn't know—as it seemed silly to wait for a response, for who even knew if Noctis would reply?—but in the end, it turned out to that she'd been waiting for a letter:

Noctis, surprisingly, had seen right through her attempts to not condemn her attacker—and the eight-year-old seemed to call him every curse word that he knew, before descending into words apologizing for not making sure she came with them on that fateful day back in Tenebrae.

The entry ended with Noct saying, "I know it's not much, but I had Pryna carry some of your favorite cherry-lemon gum with her to give to you. Please eat it, Luna. And try to feel better. I'm gonna talk to Dad and see if he can save you."

Noctis also asked if there were any outfits she had with shoulder pads, or something, that could protect her skin if someone tried something like that again.

Ever so slightly, Luna found herself beginning to smile again.

And as Noctis had hoped for, things began getting somewhat better for her.

And so the two's communicating with each other through dog mail began.

...

Luna was the first one to write in their shared journal, when Noctis first turned nine.

She knew that he'd strongly been wanting the anime "Full Metal Alchemist" on his day...

And Luna, sadly, hadn't been able to get him that (her pull where she was at was limited at best, after all), but she had been able to find him something from the same company that he might like.

Sitting at her desk and writing, just as the morning sun came up to make her look entirely pink, Luna said, "I really think that 'Soul Eater' is something you might like, Noctis. I've loved it a lot, for the few times I've been able to catch it on TV. Though I'll admit the times I get to watch it are few and far between:

"Niflheim is really making sure I crack down on my studying: They think that if I've yet to truly ascend to Oracle, I might as well become smarter-so that Ravus will have reason to listen to me, when I try to talk him down next time from fighting against the Empire.

"But back to Soul Eater... be sure to tell me what you think of it! ...After your dad edits out the parts of it that are inappropriate for your age, that is."

And after Luna finished up her birthday message, she gave her puppy said DVDs she'd just bought for Noctis—and began making copies of them for herself through recording them onto VHS.

Someday, she'd get the chance to watch the whole thing. And then she and Noctis would have that to bond over.

The thought of being able to be a kid with him—for just a moment more—was something that Luna greatly cherished.

Noctis' follow-up came within the week, while Luna was feeling like there were flames on the side of her face each time she looked at her math homework.

So the former princess happily took the prince's "thank you" that Pryna and Umbra had been fighting over for, and began to read.

"Dear Luna... Can I just say that you're the best? I never would've thought to give Pryna or Umbra a DVD case to carry! And it makes my bubble gum gift to you look awful. Sorry. I'll do better next time, I promise!

"Anyway, I read 'Soul Eater' in your note as 'Last Order' at first, and then got really excited—because I thought it was a show everyone says I dreamed up, where a big martial artist is caring a girl with a long ponytail over his shoulders...

"But Soul Eater is cool, and I can't thank you enough for it, Luna... But you know I'm old enough to handle it without Dad's help, right?

"You remind me of Maka, by the way, and I'm totally going to keep watching to see if I like Black Star. If I do, I'll start drawing that sign into our book.

"Thanks again, Luna. You're the best! And I'll write to you again soon, okay?!"

At that, Luna couldn't help but laugh, and bury her head into the book with a smile.

She had other things to focus on—like learning how to cook, which was another thing Niflheim was forcing her to learn to do, for a reason she really didn't want to think about—but she found herself still waiting eagerly for Noctis' next response all the same.

And trying to catch some episodes of Soul Eater, herself!

When Noctis did eventually write back, it was with drawings of the "Tsubaki" flower in there, and not a black star.

...

The ages of nine to eleven proved to be a good time for Noctis, Luna found.

While he was going through a stage of not wanting to tell her the good things in his life—lest it seem like he was rubbing them in her face, Luna supposed—she could still tell of the fun he was having… even despite everything.

Like, even when he would tell her just how very alone he felt at school, he'd never be able to keep out things like, "but if nothing else, it's making the school counselors say I can have a stress ball with me, even times there aren't proficiency tests. And that's the best!"

Luna only wished that Noctis wouldn't feel the need to make his life seem dreadful, in order to talk to her.

Luna wanted him to revel in his gladness, for she adored hearing about it.

And thankfully, having one boy at school come up to talk to him, apparently—just to talk; and not try to get anything from him, before he ended up shyly departing-made Noctis an open book, and Luna found she couldn't have asked for more.

"...Do you think there's a chance your Ignis could learn to make a dish with rose petal water?" Luna asked Noctis at one point—while she held her feet off the floor, so that Ravus could sweep the carpet for her.

Why, exactly, her brother was doing this, Luna had no idea.

But she thought maybe he was having one of his days where he mourned her destiny, and so she tried not to think about it.

She _was_ thinking hard on making sure Ravus thought she was doing her homework, though.

If Ravus found out that she was actually preparing something to try and communicate to Noctis with, she knew it wouldn't end well: he was getting some scary thoughts about Lucis and King Regis lately…

"I ask," Luna continued on—somewhat nervously, as she looked over her shoulder. "Because I've really come to admire my attendant 'Gentiana'. And she's all about flowers, of course... And I just think having Ignis create _you_ something with that flavor would be a nice way to play homage to both our right hands."

Luna wasn't really sure what she was writing anymore... She just found that she wanted to be where Noctis was.

And even if it would never end up getting her there, somehow the idea of combining their best friends—who would have had to be there for both of them eventually... back when King Regis had dreamed of marrying the two of them, before the Nifs had stolen that future away—made Luna think there was a possibility she could return to the King of Light's side someday.

Luna gave the journal to Pryna before she could change her mind about asking it—but after she'd added in a sticker of the Hand of Midas, to show how she thought their confidants would one day make them great rulers.

…Or would've made her one, if she'd still been allowed to be that.

And Noctis' reply to that came faster than Luna would've guessed. It read:

"Gosh, Luna. I _guess_ I can do that—even though I'm already trying to get Ignis to make you a raspberry-lemon tea... that doesn't taste like tea, since you apparently hate the taste so much.

"But in all seriousness, of course! And Iggy wants to know if an all-things-vanilla-cake sounds like it would be good with rose water to you.

"Thanks for the Hand of Midas sticker, btw. At school, we're learning about the monkey's paw. And I tricked my teacher into thinking that's what the hand was, and I got extra credit for it! So thanks a bunch, Luna!"

At that last part, Luna stared gaping—as she tried to roll a ball of dough with one hand; she was beginning to have to cook more and more lately.

She wanted to tell her prince that he shouldn't feel proud of that—and that lying was never the best answer—but she refrained.

If she could lie to get out of this place, she knew full well that she would.

And what was life, if one didn't sin a little bit?

...

On Luna's sixteenth birthday, she gasped as she took her book from Umbra.

For right there attached to his foot, was a bunched up shirt!

And a new one, at that!

Luna wanted to be surprised that Noctis had somehow gotten Umbra to carry this with no issue... but then she realized that she shouldn't be—for she was so small, she often felt like only a baby doll's arm could fit through some of her dresses, when they shrunk without her in them.

Flipping to the most recent page of their diary, Luna read from Noctis, "Happy birthday! I know it's not much, but I wanted to show you you can enjoy blue—this shirt here is such a light shade, it's _almost_ white—so wear it, if you want, and stick it to Niflheim that way? Happy birthday, Luna! I hope you're having a good one!"

It truly was a beautiful blouse (the color of snowflakes, in Luna's eyes, with embroidery that reminded her of a seashell or mermaid's tail).

And though she, sadly, wouldn't be able to wear the top to public events... Luna knew she'd wear it around the house as much as she could.

But now to, somewhat deviously, tell Noctis that she'd pick him out some clothes for his next birthday, then.

She began writing away…

...

Not too long after Luna became sixteen—and Noctis twelve—she ended up becoming the Oracle.

It happened when she was at school—and while she was being recorded to be on television, for whatever reason:

She blacked out on camera, and that began complaining about voices in her head.

Noctis had watched on in horror, apparently (as she would later surmise from his behavior); and Luna assumed the moment he got home that day, he found their sticker book and wrote in it.

When both Pryna and Umbra brought it back to her this time, Luna saw Noctis' urgent handwriting paired with some packets to flavor one's water.

"LUNA, I THINK YOU GOT HEATSTROKE TODAY! I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE WATER, BUT YOU GOTTA TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, OKAY? USE THESE GRAPE PACKETS, MAKE THE WATER BETTER THAT WAY, AND DRINK IT! YOUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT!"

Luna was truly touched by Noctis' concern and his gesture:

But he was wrong about her affliction, as Luna had begun to guess at, and Gentiana then told her point-blank.

The next thing Luna knew, she was giving her address to everyone and speaking from her heart—knowing what she now had to get ready to do, and the path she'd have to walk.

But lo and behold, Noctis ended up being right about the heatstroke thing somewhat, after all.

And that, coupled with her stress, made Luna pass out _again_.

And when Noctis got back to her next time, he seemed none too happy about it… and maybe somewhat jealous?

Luna couldn't tell for sure.

"Ya know... I'm just saying… but if that if the stupid guy who held your hand at the end of the ceremony had been smart, he would've seen that hat of yours was overheating you and removed it!"

And thus began Noctis' "crummy teenage years", as Luna would later come to dub them.

She still loved him, though.

But at the same time, she knew she couldn't have him thinking about her in a romantic capacity if he now was.

Not yet, at least.

Luna knew that she herself had been in love with the young prince since they'd been children, but her feelings had always been an innocent sort of kind—and who knew? Maybe they always would be—but Luna refused to at all think of romantic feelings for Noctis for the moment, since she was sixteen and he was only twelve…

And since they were doomed, anyway—though it made tears dot Luna's eyes to think that—though she did have high hopes for the afterlife.

Sitting down and catching her breath, Luna prepared to write a calm and orderly response to her Noctis—as she threw a ball in Pryna and Umbra's direction, that they swiftly chased after—but instead of doing that, she found herself writing, "Really, Noctis? You want to start this conversation with me right now?"

And despite herself, Luna ended up sending that to him—she just needed to vent and nor be perfect one more time in her life, before she let her Oracle training completely take her over.

...And unfortunately, Noctis' response to that was just as bad as Luna's own had been to his.

Luna could tell he'd erased it many times, as he'd clearly stressed over sending it or not, but in the end he had.

"I don't like all the white you wear now, Luna... It's like you've become one of them. At least on the day we were separated, as awful as it was, you wore some black."

And this was enough to make Luna begin crying—for the new role she'd been handed, her and Noctis' relationship falling apart... the fact that she wanted to wear her country's own color and a morally good one proudly, but Noctis didn't get it...

And this was all made worse, by the fact that Ravus thundered into the room—snatched the diary out of Lunafreya's hands, as she desperately reached for it—and snarled at the last entry.

"That spoiled brat of a prince wants you to wear black, does he? ...Is he seriously trying to mark you as his? I won't stand for it, Lunafreya! And nor will I stand for that stupid little prophecy about the two of you to come true. I should give this to Niflheim at once, and-"

Luna cut her brother off, as she literally fell to her hands and knees, and _begged_ for her prize possession back, with her skin turning red with hives.

"Ravus, please... don't do this. It's the only thing I've had keeping me going all these years. He's my only friend—outside of you, of course—and my only link to the outside world."

Ravus pinched the bridge of his nose in deep thought at this, and Luna honestly didn't envy the position she had just put him into.

But having made his decision, he gently helped Luna to her feet and muttered angrily, "Fine, Lunafreya. Fine. Keep communicating with Noctis, but if he ever speaks of attacking Niflheim you let me know immediately."

Luna nodded her head numbly at this, for she didn't want Noctis to do something shortsighted like that, either.

And somewhat smiling at last, Luna saw, Ravus ruffled her hair some and said like any good brother, "And if I ever see him talking to you cruelly like that again, it'll be the end of it."

Luna thank the gods that he'd seemed to temporarily forget the point he'd brought up about the prophecy, as he left the room.

...

Luna and Noctis didn't really talk again after that for a while:

Luna spent most of her time traveling around Eos to fight back against the Star Scourge, and she knew that Noctis was busy with school and his royal duties.

A blimp with certain writing on it did appear over Tenebrae on her birthday, however, that she had suspicions about, though—but in all seriousness, Luna knew it was Noctis commemorating the occasion for her. How, though? She had absolutely no idea.

And he then sent her some white flowers for Startica—a fictional holiday they both celebrated because of an anime they had in common—and Luna knew it was his way of taking back what he'd said about her obsession with ivory before.

But they only wrote to each other a few times during this time.

...Until around Noctis' fifteenth birthday, when he wrote to Luna in a panic.

"Dad's been holding up the Wall, and it's aging him exponentially... I know that always comes with wearing the Ring of the Lucii—and I'm prepared for it myself, Luna—but something feels... off with Dad, and it's scaring me.

"Oh… and I'm sorry for everything."

Luna had been out in her garden enjoying her sylleblossoms—one of Luna's favorite past times now, since her powers were starting to take a toll on her—when Umbra brought that to her.

But the moment she saw the desperate SOS from Noctis, she ran back inside as fast as her legs could carry her—even though they ached in protest—and began writing back feverishly.

"Noctis, you need not apologize to me for the ludicrous fight we had a few years ago. It's all water under the bridge, my dear friend.

"And I'm so very sorry to hear that your lovely father is suffering. I shall pray to the gods on his behalf.

"...If you find your mind troubled, might I suggest that you play that bit of the only piano piece you know? It always seems to calm you.

"I'm here if you need me, Noctis, and I'm with you, always.

"Love, Luna."

What Luna heard back from Noctis wasn't about King Regis—Luna assumed it was still too touchy a subject for him to bring it up again—but she did learn of one Prompto:

Someone Luna thought that she had very well met once before...

And Noctis began writing to Luna a lot—maybe even more than he ever had before—and Luna wasn't too far off in doing the same, when her job would allow it.

...

"All I'm saying," one of Noctis' sticker book entries read, not too long after he had showed Luna that one of Ignis' attempts at their famed Tenebrae dessert was "too sweet", "Is that if they were going to have a close up on the monster in this movie, they should have made sure they didn't show the zipper to its costume! It was hilarious, but also ruined the feeling of everything. And it's even greater in that I think they did that to try and get a sexy look on camera—because apparently they wanted a hot monster—but by trying to do that, they just royally fucked the whole thing up."

Luna found that it was a very good thing that she was sitting in a cool pool as she read this particular one.

Maybe she was going crazy, and just throwing her wishes into things—something she shouldn't have been doing, as far as she was concerned, since Noctis was still a minor and she wasn't—but it seemed to her that Noctis was talking about zippers and "hot scenes" to her on purpose.

And he said "apparently" they'd wanted a sexy vampire, so what did that mean? He himself didn't find the actress attractive?

Luna shook her head at the confusing thoughts.

"Language, Noct," Luna wrote out, whilst thinking just how nice it would be to go to a film with Noctis. Even that one—though she wasn't a big fan of horror films. "You are a prince, remember? You could try acting like it.

"Anyway, I think you should be glad you were taken out of the experience like that. It might have been too terrifying for you, otherwise. I still remember the little boy who got frightened by some of my mother's stories about goblins, after all."

And ass it happened, Noctis' comeback to her slight teasing didn't end up being what Luna had expected at all.

She had been sure that he would insist that those tales had never bothered him, in what he wrote back to her, but instead were some of the kindest words she'd ever beheld—as she walked back through a Niflheim with snow on the ground: a rarity, that.

"How are you doing since the death of your mom, Luna? I'm so sorry... On anniversaries of that day, I've thought of shaping rice crispy treats into green goblins—and giving them to Umbra to give to you—but I don't want to poison you, either, so I haven't. I'm sorry."

Luna's heart beat a mile a minute at this scrawl—and she felt warmer than she ever had in her life, despite the chilly sleet about her—and she found that she needed a drink:

A drink for the reason that she'd just realized for sure that she was in love with Noctis Lucis Caelum... and yet she was still going to let him die for the world, anyway.

And not just let him, she was going to lead him to it.

As Luna came back in that night—stumbling, and completely trashed; and later, she'd realize she didn't know what she would have done if Gentiana hadn't assisted her then—she word vomited.

"Dear Noctis, first and foremost you should know that I'm drunk—so why I'm writing to you now, I haven't the foggiest, and I... I thank you for what you said about my mother, by the way.

"And I went to the park today, Noctis, and they had a little prison, and I- I dreamed of you being within it, and I without.

"I don't mean that in a creepy way, however. The bars made up a xylophone… And so I thought you and I could have had fun with that when we were children, tapping either side of it together. Doesn't that sound nice? I think it sounds nice."

And Luna sent that to Noctis—despite Gentiana telling her not to—not knowing what she'd hear back from him, or if he'd dignify it with an answer at all.

Maybe she'd scare him off forever with her drunken talk...

But Pryna brought back word from Noctis swifter than she ever had before. Had the dog teleported?

Anyway, Luna's head pound, and she held a hand to it, she found it only fitting that it would be her precious Pryna to bring her this reprieve.

"First off, Luna: get some water and some sleep for me, okay? Okay.

"And secondly... I don't hate the idea of what you said, no. It's actually sort of... sweet. That's the word girls use for things like that, right?

"And hey, I'm not against being your prisoner of war if you ever want me to be. There are surely worse fates."

And it was upon reading that that Luna realized that she really should have been negotiating with Niflheim to end the war with Lucis—and perhaps Noctis had realized the same thing, too, when he'd written what he had—but she wasn't ready for it.

Not yet.

...

"I think I'm learning something about myself, Noctis: I think I've decided that if

I wasn't the Oracle, I'd be a foody.

"Really, I should've put two-and-two together long ago—back when I was talking to you about other flavorings—but what can I say? I'm slow. But I need you to know that the food in Altissia is so good! So good!"

This was written by Luna spur of the moment, when she happened upon a vendor selling chilly cheese fries—that looked like spaghetti with meat sauce, they were so generous with everything there—and went to heaven that way.

If the woman she'd just healed was going to recommend local favorites like _this_ to her, then Luna thought she'd have to visit Aki more often.

"Err... Just as long as you're not eating battery acid. Umm, this is a weird response. Sorry. It's just that Gladio told me that Iris is writing a story about, and I quote, 'a girl who licks batteries'.

"And as someone who's come to like those things—because I can make a light circuit with them like no one's business, in science class—I find the very idea of it offensive."

Luna laughed so hard at this, when she got Noctis'-trying-to-be-a-comedian follow-up, that her frail body began hurting for it.

But Luna couldn't even be bothered to care, as she threw pizza dough into the air and caught it for fun this time.

"Nope. No battery licking on my part! But tell your friend Iris that I really want to read her story when she's done with it. And I'm serious about that. It sounds really interesting.

"And I'm _so_ glad you're good at making light circuits! We did that in the fourth grade—and I was pretty good with it and enjoyed it—but I seem to be the only one from my class who remembers it..."

Things were quiet between Noctis and Luna after that; and Luna feared it was maybe because she'd unintentionally hurt the prince's feelings.

Because looking back on it, she thought she could see how it could've come off as her bragging.

But when Noctis ended up speaking to her next—when Luna was skiing to someone, with scraped knees, who desperately needed her help and was trapped somewhere—she could see something was heavy on his mind.

And Luna read it for moral support, as she was just about to give up on finding this poor soul after hours of searching for them.

"Luna... I had a dream I proposed to you—and damn, was it embarrassing; I stammered my words, and was just generally a mess...

"But we got into bed together—and I swear to the gods this wasn't an erotic dream—and I was holding your hands above your head, because I got the sense that if I didn't… if I didn't restrain you, you would willingly hang yourself then and there.

"Why, oh why, would I dream that? Answer me, Luna!"

She didn't right away.

Finding "Pappy" came first. And Luna did so near the Alstor Slaugh, under an avalanche, and she got help for him—gods bless Ravus—and then healed the Plague for him while he was recuperating.

It was only after that that she thought of Noctis again. And when she did, she wanted to sob.

Had Ifrit sent him that dream? To try and sway him away from their tasks, by making him think he needed to save her?

Did he want them to suffer, now that she was closer to Noctis than she had been in twelve years—in Lucis!—and yet still so far away from him all at the same time?

...She was going to have to lie to him. And how Luna hated deceiving him and staining their precious book that way!

"I don't know, Noctis," Luna finally settled on, tasting acid in her throat as she did so. "Have you been watching 'Soul Eater' again lately? That could lead to you having creepy dreams. Like with that one episode, where Medusa possesses the little girl..."

And when Luna finally heard back from Noctis—and thankfully she did; this didn't turn into the time when things had been awkward between them for a few years—she could tell that he was just as insincere as she had been:

"Yeah... that must be it. Sorry to worry you over nothing."

Things went back to normal between them post-haste, though.

One correspondence from Noctis that came out of the blue, was:

"Okay, so I think I finally get why you like stickers so much: I've seen these dispensers that sell them for five gil now, and they're of these cute, badass little fairies. Prompto's having me get one to represent every girl who asks me out, to no avail...

"Okay, that sounds really bad…. But I always try and strike up a sort of friendship with these people after they talk to me. I know it can't be easy for them. Especially since I imagine most of them were just dared to do it to begin with.

"Anyway, do you want me to send you one of these stickers of fairies, Luna? I know how much you like them."

Luna paused in her working on a robot (something that Noctis had inspired her to do, in her spare time—through their one conversation that they had had, that reminded her she'd always been good at science).

She didn't know how to feel about this message, honestly.

On one hand, she sort of felt jealous—though she knew she shouldn't have been.

But on another, she sensed great loneliness from Noct—if he truly thought these girls were asking him out because of dares and his position, and not because they actually liked him, that was.

She decided to focus on the sticker thing, as she was always so excited about those.

"Sure! And if you have one with the blue-haired little girl—with pink eyes—in front of the watery background, I'll love you for life. I need a duplicate to make Ashley a twin like I want to... That's what I call my version of that sticker I already have, anyway. ^_^"

...

It wasn't until after that letter that Luna realized she'd screwed up in saying "love".

She had meant it in a platonic way—or had she?—but she had to wonder just what Noctis had thought of it... if he'd even noticed it, that was.

Noctis was now eighteen, and had just graduated high school—in fact, he had been valedictorian; and when Luna had seen his speech aired on TV, she'd giggled in realizing that most of it had been forming his hands into guns at the audience, and grinning at them while doing it—so Luna knew if there was ever a time to talk about her feelings to him, it would be now.

...Even if she thought it was all kinds of wrong—and that she didn't deserve to—and didn't even know how to think selfishly for herself anymore...

But she still ended up miraculously sneaking out, and making it to a pay phone—where she dialed the number Noctis had once given her in their book.

It ringed quite a few times—and Luna was beginning to think he'd never pick up—and why would he? If he didn't recognize the number—when finally he did.

"Hello?"

Luna could hear the irritation in the man's voice—a voice she'd heard quite a few times, on TV and on the radio, and even on a flash drive he had sent her once.

Buy it was so different hearing it directed at her.

Different, and wonderful.

"N-Noctis? It's me. Lunafreya."

There was a long pause, but then Noctis was suddenly shouting in her ear—sounding much more emotional then she'd thought he would be in this moment. It warmed her heart beyond relief.

"L-L-Luna?! How?! Did you- Oh my gods, did you escape the Nifs? Is that how you're talking to me now?!"

"...In a manner of speaking, I guess I did escape them," Luna answered, as she twisted the phone cord between her fingers, and tried not to seem suspicious to passerby with their mobile phones. "But Noctis/ I'm still in Tenebrae, and that's not changing. At least not anytime soon... But I- I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to talk to you about _us_...

"And I'm just going to hammer this all out before I run out of time, okay? But you implied you're not interested in other girls... And I guess I'm wondering if you want to date me? Even if it's just an excuse to turn them down, if you're asexual or something like that. I promise I won't expect more from you than you're willing to give, and I-"

"Wait wait wait wait wait. Luna, slow down. First off, are you really trying to rob the cradle?

"...Err, sorry. Bad joke. I'm just really confused, shocked, and happy right now... And quite frankly, amazed.

"But if you're asking me to be your boyfriend, then I'm certainly not opposed to the idea. I- I like you a lot. And I'll say 'yes', even if you just want _me_ to starve off your suitors.

"And gods, is it good to hear your voice again, and your cute accent!"

Luna flushed wildly at that, and she idly wondered if she was as pink as Noctis' one friend apparently got sometimes.

"It- it's good to hear your voice, too. And thank you. I- I like you, too, Noctis."

 **Narrator's PoV**

And thus began the two's relationship:

But because of both of their insecurities, and how they'd beat around the bush somewhat on the day they'd "confessed", they sometimes, unfortunately, doubted the other's feelings for them.

But they still had beautiful moments together, like when Noctis told Luna he'd dreamt of marrying her—and held the felt of her dress beneath his fingertips, even though he hated the feeling of that fabric and always had:

Nothing had mattered to him in that wish, except that he finally got to innocently and delicately touch Luna's skin once more.

And not too long after that, Ardyn came to King Regis with the condition of Noctis marrying Luna.

And Luna, despite everything, had never been more joyful—thinking that Noctis' fantasy had actually been a good omen... to go against the bad omen that Regis had recently told her about.

And Noctis... while he did want to marry Luna with his whole heart, he couldn't help feeling the felt in his vision, in the end, said he'd never truly end up reaching her—with that stuff he hated in the way (despite the fact he _had_ gotten to be with her in his dream); and that worry colored his response whenever someone brought the whole thing up.

It wasn't until a little girl talked to him in Tenebrae, that Noctis finally realized he should have been hopeful about it like Luna had been...

And just how much she had truly loved him.


End file.
